


Fell Rumors

by AngelicSentinel



Series: Cruxborn [3]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, POV Outsider, Spoilers for Main Fic in Series, Thieves Guild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:24:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16678036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicSentinel/pseuds/AngelicSentinel
Summary: Harry's actions have been causing a bit of a stir.





	Fell Rumors

There are fell rumours on the wind. Most of them have to do with the absent Guild Master _. Times are changing in Skyrim_ , Etienne Rarnis reflected from his position on the steps on the back door of Maven Black-Briar's old manor. The Thieves' Guild was back in business, thanks to a very driven Guild Master. They were practically drowning in coin these days, and they had a strong presence in every Hold. The world knew to fear them now, even the Thalmor. Etienne shuddered at the reminder of his time in their cells.  
  
Of course, it had been months since anyone had seen said Guild Master, but Brynjolf and Karliah had everything well in hand. All of Riften had been turned on its head in the while: Maven disappearing, Laila Law-Giver keeping her Jarlship despite Stormcloak leanings. The dissolution and the integration of Stormcloak troops into the Fourth Legion, which most people suspected weren't even properly under the Imperial General Tullius anymore. People were beginning to call them the Skyrim Regulars. It was madness!  
  
The sunlight shone down on his skin, and he reveled in it, looking out over the snowcapped Velothi Mountains, still deep in thought. He remembered how it felt to be in that cramped cell. Tortured, bruised, bloody. He still didn't spend much time at the Guild these days. Too dark and dank. It made panic rise up in his chest if he stayed too long.  
  
Even now, the memories made him shake. He stood, walking to the gate, leaning over the fence, taking deep breaths to clear his mind. He rubbed his wrists.  
  
But the backyard of the old Black-Briar place? Bliss. Etienne still didn't know what he'd done to deserve it, to have it gifted to him. The sun warmed his aching bones. He wasn't even close to an old man, but he sure felt like it these days.  
  
He still didn't know what had happened to Maven Black-Briar or her son, Hemming, but there weren't even rumors, rare in a place like Riften. He'd just been told that he shouldn't have any fear of retaliation. It didn't seem to bother Ingun or Sibbi that they couldn't find them.  
  
And no one had seen the Guild Master in months, yet runners and couriers constantly drifted in and out of the Ratway these days, carrying messages and packages and what not back and forth.  
  
He felt strong arms come up behind him in an embrace, and he leaned back against his chest. "Rune," he said, turning. "Back already?"  
  
Rune leaned down to give him a kiss, long and languid. "Another waste of my time and money, Etienne. This man knew no more than anyone else about my shipwreck. He just wanted coin." The man scoffed. "Thieves' Guild coin is good everywhere these days, and everyone wants a piece of it. Our contacts are streaming out of the Imperial City."  
  
Etienne nodded. "Yet another dead end. Unfortunate."  
  
"Any news from the Guild?" asked Rune.  
  
He shook his head. "None that they would tell me, as low in the hierarchy as I am. But the rumours coming in from the other parts in Skyrim have me curious. There's no way they could be true."  
  
"Are you speaking of the Child-King?"   
  
"Yes," Etienne said. "The alleged 'Lost Son of the Septims?' That name is ridiculous!" He shrugged out of his arms and turned to face his lover. "That whole idea is ridiculous. Everyone knows about the Oblivion Crisis. That Martin was the last one!"  
  
Rune laughed. "You're behind the times! 'The Last Scion' they're calling him now. The Last Bastard, more as the like. And no one knows what happened to the Hero of Kvatch. The rumours were she and Martin were very, very close. And he was a bastard himself! Seems like a proper Royal pastime, doesn't it?"  
  
Etienne crossed his arms." Even if he was the great-something grandson of the last dragonblooded emperor, it can't be true he's a Dragonborn. There's no way! The prophecy tells of the last one, and we all know who it is."  
  
"Well, it's always the last one until another one is found. In any case, there were multiple dragonblooded emperors at once, when they had heirs? They were all dragonborn, right? Alive at the same time? But he Shouted Ulfric down, as the rumours go. And the man follows at the child's heels, these days, with his head down. You remember how proud Ulfric was. I saw them in Solitude, heading towards Castle Dour. " Rune said. "He can Shout. I saw it with my own eyes."  
  
"I still don't believe it," Etienne muttered.  
  
Rune slung his arms around his waist. "Now come on, we can talk about it some more over a good meal. I'm starved." They walked inside. "Ingun!" Rune held out his arms, letting go of him, gesturing for a hug.  
  
Ingun shook her head before hugging him and doing the same to Etienne. "Nice to see you back, Rune."  
  
"Hey, Ingun," Etienne said more quietly.  
  
"I've got a poultice mixed up for you, Eti," Ingun said. "For your aches."  
  
"Thank you," he called across the room, sitting at the table as she left the room.   
  
Rune followed, still talking as he got himself an enormous cut of venison. "And he's not the only one following at his heels, either. The Dragonborn herself defers to his decisions."  
  
Etienne sighed. "You know as well as I do she's the mind beyond the entire thing. Considering what she did here… I may owe her my life, but I know how ruthless she is."  
  
"Maybe they're in it together, but I am telling you, the boy is sharp. Damn fine with a blade, and strong as an ox for his age, but he could give a member of the College a run for their money with his spells."  
  
"He performed a demonstration?" Etienne said, perking up. "That can't be likely."  
  
"No, he was walking through the crowd on his way to give a speech in the courtyard when an assassin shot at him through the shadows. He had her frozen in an instant with his Voice! Pursued her through the roofs of town and over the walls!"  
  
"You're making this shit up, Rune," the breton said, shaking his head.  
  
"I'm completely serious, Etienne," Rune said through a mouthful of grilled leeks.   
  
"And the rumours the Imperials are moving to close the border?"  
  
Here, Rune looked grim. "Those I can't tell you whether they're true or not. I do know they say Emperor Titus is spooked by the loss of Tullius and his legion. No one knows if he's still going to attend the wedding of his cousin, even though the war is over. She keeps moving it back, hoping for his attendance."  
  
"I don't claim to know the will of Emperors. But the General and his men haven't left Skyrim. I mean, I've heard the tavern talk. But there is no way." Etienne shook his head. "No way."  
  
"Nor do I," Rune said, holding up his hands. "And they haven't. But you didn't see it, Eti. How the Imperial legion looked at the Scion when he spoke of brotherhood and unity and defending Skyrim from outside threats. Like he was Talos himself! A god descended down from Aetherius. And they've doubled in size. Stormcloaks joining willingly, even! They say it's the King's personal army!"  
  
"Ugh. Politics. Exactly the reason I left High Rock. Daggerfall hasn't quite been the same since Lysandus's death back in the Third Era. Just who have you been meeting in your cups, Rune?" He popped him gently on the head. "Or have you been hitting things a bit harder, eh?"  
  
"I know what I saw!"  
  
"So what's he like in person?"  
  
"I didn't get to see him that close," Rune admitted. "He's a breton. Short too, though tall for his age, I suppose. Comes up to about here." He motioned to his chest, about a foot above the table. "Armed to the teeth, even though he's surrounded by four or five bodyguards all the time. Scarred like an old orc."  
  
"He's fought hard for someone so young, then."  
  
"Yes," Rune slurped down a tankard of mead. Etienne took his at a more sedate pace. 

"I can almost believe it. But can Skyrim survive such a change?" Etienne wondered.  
  
"What are you talking about? Of course it can. It survived a Civil War. It survived dragons returning, hard winters, the Great War...We may not survive, but the land will. And some of the policies he's enacted about reparations and victims of dragon attacks have been nothing short of brilliant."  
  
"If they're truly his policies, and even so, what he's doing--or perhaps rather, what his master's doing...I don't think he'll stop at Tullius's Legion, or at Skyrim." Etienne said. "He's after a larger prize."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"It's what I'd do if I were him. What thief stops at the gold and doesn't steal the jewels? The Dragonborn's there, so you know he's funding that army with our gold."  
  
Rune shrugged. "And yet, we're still here and richer than ever. As long as that doesn't change, I don't think I'll mind. Speaking of thinking, you think too much." He stood from the table and stretched. "It was a long journey. I think I'm going to head to bed."  
  
"In the middle of the day?" Etienne asked. Rune cocked an eyebrow at him. Etienne smiled. "You know what, I think I'm feeling a bit tired as well." 

"You're thinking!" Rune said. "Think again! No thinking right now."  
  
Etienne laughed, and he followed him out of the room.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a gift fic for T. I found an account with the same name here, but 1) I am not sure they are the same user, and 2) doubt they'd still want it, considering the three and a half year gap from this posting (sent via ffnet pm on 15/5/15, posted 18/9/11)


End file.
